this is how i'm feeling right now.

the way this song feels.

i'm reading this book.

and annoying my husband in the process.

but oh my goodness, i am learning so much about food. i think this book was a huge influence on my dad going vegan a few years ago. at the time, he really pushed it but since he's always pushing some fabulously interesting thing (whether it's about gardening or sprouting or theodore roosevelt or the latest political column from the washington post), i didn't take him too seriously. sorry, bob. now, however, i am eating this stuff up! (pun not intended.) the book is intended for people who want to lose weight healthily (this includes me, as size 1 and i are no longer speaking--), but the first half is really just filled with excellent sources, including NUMEROUS scientific studies, many of which are references to the now well-known China Study. referring to it, fuhrman says over and over that rates of virtually all kinds of cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis and other significant health problems which are at present, endemic in the United States, are virtually non-existent in China, particularly in the more rural areas which are least influenced by western diet. And it's all because they eat, as Michael Pollan says, "food. not too much. mostly plants." you should read it! personally, i'm pretty convinced (like i wasn't before!!) that the atkins diet is not the way to go... and that the less animal proteins we consume the healthier our bodies and the safer and better off our animals (the ones that live and die). not to mention that it's more sustainable and kinder to this good earth of ours.

i highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in improving general health, losing weight, and learning about how the politics of food have made america fat and sick, just like poor bessie.

stomp once for britney. and twice for beyonce.

if you haven't seen leslie hall yet, be prepared for weird. but awesome. she is not afraid to rock gold spandex. and i want to learn her moves.

about leslie: she is from ames, iowa, was born in 1981, and is the curator of a gem sweater collection. please read more about her here.

you're welcome.

darling friend.

my friend, randall lake, is perfectly lovely.  and a perfectly lovely artist to boot.  one of the best professional artists in salt lake city, he studied with alvin gittins at the university of utah  as well as doing all kinds of less formal learning in paris and also teaching at the sorbonne. (ummm, yeah. the sorbonne.)  here is one of my favorite things by him, recently gifted to someone i love, who should know that i would be happy to inherit it at any time (wink wink). 

i met randall at a party and was instantly captivated by his love for all things beautiful, his depth of thought, his deprecating nature and his ability to make me feel appreciated and absolutely at home in my skin, despite our age difference of 30 years.

randall may have been born in the wrong century, and i mean that as a compliment, because he could care less about technology or commercialism or popularity and knows more than you (or i) do about oscar wilde and the gospels and french film.  and i love that.  (not to mention, we can talk about our feelings, and with what other 60 year-old man can you do that, other than your dad? randall claims it's cause he's gay... maybe.)  but he's also so unassuming that he never makes me feel silly that i don't know much about russian impressionism or the food practices of orthodox jews.  he has a studio in the guthrie building in downtown salt lake, and you should go there one of these gallery stroll weekends, because it feels like stepping into un salon in turn-of-the-century paris.  maybe you'll bump into satie or cocteau.

this and the top painting are of his studio

the man is brilliant with color

  

i have this one at home

 other favorites, all available in some form (original, print or notecard) on randall's website.

you should go there and buy something.

"big mac falafel and a side of fries... yeah"

i think this might be one of my favorite things to make for dinner. i've had this recipe for ages which i think i found in some food magazine.... anyway, it's sooo yummy and flavorful that when i eat it i have a mouthgasm. it's always a hit with the grownups. it's a pleasure to make too, kind of sensual in a tactile sort of way, though i love any kind of cooking for that exact reason and others. plus it meets my requirements for a vegetarian meal (it's not quite vegan)-- it's so delicious and filling that you almost feel like you've eaten meat. (without that yucky post-meat heaviness.) to get jon's niece to eat it, we told her it's like a variation on the chicken nugget, which isn't that far from the truth. and keziah,  eater of all-things-cheesy-pizza-and-chicken-nuggets-but-not-vegetables, ATE it. liking it was a different story, but she didn't gag or spit it out. that's success in my book.

crispy falafel with parsley garlic yogurt

2 15oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, diced finely
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c. bread crumbs

2 eggs, whisked
11/2 c. plain yogurt
1 c. (or more as needed) additional bread crumbs


in blender or food processor, process chickpeas, lemon juice, and a 1/4 c. of water until almost smooth. transfer to a large bowl and add the shallot, cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, parsley and 1/2 c. bread crumbs and mix well. roll into about 16 balls and flatten slightly to form patties. place remaining bread crumbs in a dish. dip the patties in the whisked egg, then roll in bread crumbs coating evenly. 


to make the yogurt dip:  in a medium bowl, combine yogurt with 1/8 tsp. ground pepper, one minced garlic clove, 1 tsp. salt, and one tbsp. of chopped parsley. mix well, cover and refrigerate.


heat 1/8 c. canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. place about 8 of the patties in the pan and cook until golden brown, approx. 2 minutes per side. drain on paper towels. add another 1/8 c. of oil if necessary and cook remaining patties. drain. serve with the yogurt.

i like to serve this with whole wheat pita and tomato olive cucumber salad which you can stuff in the pita or eat on the side. rice or quinoa steamed in vegetable stock is nice too.

peacocks.

i gave these to my sister and sort of wish i hadn't because i really like them. (i can't be a real artist, can i? because real artists are so critical of everything they do....) done in acrylic and using color theory, they're simple, but i think that makes them seem more majestic. and i think i like peacocks more in theory than in actuality because when i see them at the zoo i'm always sort of disappointed by their snobby rattiness. 

isn't there something really great about variations on a theme? in art, music... anything. what variations on a theme do you like?